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The San Pedro Sun

Letter to the Editor: Hit the road Don…
Kindly afford me an opportunity in your prestigious newspaper to voice my thoughts and opinions on the current state of affairs of Premier Football League of Belize. The purpose of my writing this article is based solely on my desire to see better come to Semi-pro Football. None of the topics and issues discussed is meant as an attack on anyone and is solely meant to stimulate discussion by looking at the facts so as to bring about a better solution for football in Belize. Firstly let me respectfully state that any owner, manager, player, or fan who seriously thought that better was to come or will come under the present leadership of the Premier League either don’t know the history of semi-pro football in Belize or are plain ol’ naïve like my three year old son to the reality of the current leadership of the League. It is often echoed that ‘insanity’ is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different results each time. In my dictionary that is stupidity. The current Commissioner of the league, aka Don Maito Perdomo, has been involved in football for many years and to a limited degree his presence over the years should be commended, even if reluctantly. When analyzing his leadership however one must ask certain questions: What has he accomplished during his almost fifteen or so years at the helm of the League? What has the League accomplished under his leadership? How has the League grown under his leadership? And finally, can we seriously depend on this kind of leadership to move the League forward?

Sailing Club News: Cart Wash!!
The young sailors in the San Pedro Sailing Club are holding a cart wash to raise money so that they can go to St George’s Caye in September and race in the Battle Regatta. From 9:00 am to 4:00 on Saturday, August 17, the sailors will be washing carts at Caribbean Villas, where advanced tickets are now on sale. The sailors themselves will be around town selling advance tickets for $10,00. Without a ticket, the cost for the wash will be $12.00. Customers with advance tickets will be served one free rum punch at the Catamaran Beach Bar while waiting, and they will receive a free Sailing Club Calendar (2013) signed by the sailors.

Introducing Amigos Jungle Tours
Since 1987 Amigos Del Mar Dive Shop has been providing premier dive and snorkeling services to the discerning traveler. What started as a small family venture soon grew to be the largest dive shop in Belize. Their knowledgeable and well trained tour guides, mostly born and raised in San Pedro, and all Belizeans, aim to give the best experience Belize has to offer. Whether it is snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley or diving the Great Blue Hole, fun is guaranteed. But recently the company has expanded an added a new section that will offer an addition to their aquatic tours. Owner Jose “Changa” Paz, always wanted to show more of Belize than just its coastal beauty, and that’s how Amigos Jungle Tours came to existence. Amigos Jungle Tours is a unique experience that takes you on trips away from the sea and into the lush Belizean forest, where secrets lay hidden and ready to be uncovered. From the aquamarine waters and reef systems to the ancient Maya Ruins and rainforest panorama, you can have a fun filled day without hassle, and you never lose the comfort of the modern world.

Misc Belizean Sources

Belize Historical Videos
STANN CREEK RAILWAY : Passenger service in the 1920's Stops Stann Creek Melinda Middlesex LOGGING RAILWAY operated 1880's to 1930's Gallon Jug I have heard those single-lane bridges on the Hummingbird are remainders of the Stann Creek Railway.

VIDEO: STEEL PAN & PERCUSSION CONCERT
Steel Pan & Percussion concert featuring more than 60 students of the First San Pedro Music Summer Camp: Friday, August 9

VIDEO: San Pedro Youth Scuba -Kids In Action Program
SPTGA- San Pedro Tour Guide Association's Summer Scuba Camp in participation with PADI, DAN, Hol Chan Marine Reserve and local PADI Instructors. In the episode local youth experience Nurse Sharks on PADI Certification dives.

TRACTOR IN THE BEDROOM
Picture this: a family in their living room, enjoying a quiet Saturday afternoon. All of a sudden, a government tractor comes crashing into the master bedroom. It happened on Saturday afternoon when a front end loader assigned to the Ministry of Public Works crashed into a house in Camalote village. No one was injured in the incident, but the house belonging to Gertrude Palacio sustained major damage. The tractor was quickly removed from the scene of the incident and the family says they were given a verbal assurance that the Ministry of Works will be making amends and repairing the damage.

LOVE FM

Grocer Breaks Down Before Magistrate
Forty-eight year old Idolly Summerville, a shopkeeper of Hattieville, broke down in tears today after Magistrate Hettie Mae Stuart found her guilty of using threatening words and fined her one hundred dollars. On February 25, 2013, Summerville, armed with a machete, went to the yard of her neighbor, Brenda Ferguson, and told her that she will chop her up. Summerville said she had no intention of chopping Ferguson. She said she had just closed her shop and she went to the yard with the machete when she found out that her teenage daughter was not at home. But despite the fact that she lost the case, Summerville said that she is confident that she will win the second case for which the charge is aggravated burglary. According to the allegation, on the same date Summerville entered the house of Ferguson as a trespasser whilst armed with a machete.

Oceana Exposes Children to Belize’s Marine Patrimony
Last Friday August 2, Oceana Belize hosted seventy eight Belize City children on an excursion to Goff’s Caye. The trip was hosted under Oceana’s “I Love My Reef” campaign and it happened on the last day of the Belize City Council’s 2013 Summer Camp. Most of the children on the trip according to a press release from Oceana, had never been on a boat before. The group of children was joined by 8 chaperones, 3 licensed tour guides, a ranger from the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI) and the captain and crew of the Splash Wave Tour vessel chartered for the day outing. The release also relates that the older and more adventurous children got an opportunity to snorkel and those who opted not to, got an up-close and personal experience with Belize’s marine patrimony on display at the Caye. Other than the various games they participated in, the participants also got pointers on coral reef systems in Belize, fishing laws, mangrove systems, their purpose and protection on how to preserve and protect the marine environment and caught glimpses of manatees and dolphins too. The trip also took the participants to the Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary, an area where manatees congregate. Vice President of Oceana in Belize, Audrey Matura-Shepherd says, “Last Friday’s Goff’s Caye outing is the second consecutive year Oceana has partnered with the Belize City Council to introduce our world famous marine patrimony to inner city dwellers that might otherwise not get such an opportunity”. The CZMAI contributed by waiving the usual Goff’s Caye entrance fees and providing a Ranger to accompany the excursion.

El Salvador Hosts Belizean Youths for Conference
Over the past weekend twenty six young Belizeans attended a conference in El Salvador to learn how to contribute to their community. The youths who are from six communities in Belize traveled to El Salvador to take part in the Bahá’í Youth Conference. The group returned to Belize on Monday night in order to execute the plans they made to serve their communities. The Conference in El Salvador was attended by six hundred and sixty youth ages fifteen to thirty from different countries in Latin America. It was one of one hundred and fourteen similar Regional Conferences being held from July through October around the globe and on all continents. According to the press release issued out by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’ís of Belize, several topics were discussed including characteristics that distinguish the period of youth, the importance of fostering an environment of encouragement, and the contribution youth can make for the betterment of society.

Oil and Water Summer Program Begins
Today twenty one boys and girls began participating in a five day Oil and Water Summer Program organized by the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage and the Belize Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, BELPO. Today’s session dealt with the importance of water. Administrative Officer for BELPO, Amelita Knowles, shared more about the summer program. AMELITA KNOWLES “We started off with the presentation this morning with the kids; actually the water cycle so they know where water comes from. We also shared with them why water is important, about water sheds and also some threats to our rivers and water sheds and as well as some water saving tips. We have about 21 kids right now; this morning when we started off, we interacted well with them; we were getting good feedback so we’re happy about that and they’re doing an activity which now they are doing a water cycle wheel. We also have other activities until 12 o’clock this afternoon. Like I mentioned, that we went through the presentation with them about the water cycle, where water comes from, we did on rivers we went through the biggest water shed, the amount of water shed in Belize because of the age range we keep it very simple but most of them got the water cycle wheel so, it is refreshing their memory as well as they go back to school.” On Friday the participating children will be treated to a field trip to Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary.

Belize Bird Rescue Begins Release of Injured Hawk
In 2004, the Belize Bird Rescue was formed for injured parrots in need of assistance. After eight years, the initiative has grown and to date it assists several other species of birds. The latest bird that the organization is assisting is a female Common Black Hawk which was rescued and treated. This morning the hawk was transported to Ambergris Caye where it will be released into its natural habitat. Sarah Mon and Jonathan Urbina, of Belize Bird Rescue, were the hawk’s crucial guardians in its road to recovery and this morning the duo shared how they plan to release the hawk back into the wild JONATHON URBINA “This individual came from a nest from Caye Caulker; its parents decided to build the nest within a yard and then the parents became very protective and they would attack people coming around. So, the chick was removed and was sent to the Belize Bird Rescue which is located in Roaring Creek. In the process of it being moved it broke several bones and this was a part of the rehabilitation center. Sarah, she was a part of the one who fed them and they had to do several bandages; through some flight training, it’s at the level where it is now ready and good to go; it’s able to hunt on its own, even though we had been its parents, to a certain extent and now she’s ready to go. We are thankful to Maya Island Air who flew us over to San Pedro and released it there.”

Former Prime Minister Explains Settlement Deed
13 bills were introduced in the House of Representatives at today’s sitting, one of which went through all three readings. But the main focus was on two of the four motions that were presented. The first was the implications of the Caribbean Court of Justice on the public policy of Belize motion 2013. This had as its basis the decision delivered by the Caribbean Court of Justice on July 26 in which it ruled that the settlement deed signed by former Prime Minister Said Musa with Carlisle Holdings Limited on March 22, 2005 was illegal, void and contrary to public policy. Prime Minister Dean Barrow hailed the court’s decision. RT. HON DEAN BARROW “It was not possible to put in the motion all that the CCJ had to say and it was not possible to give the entire background to what has now become a transaction that will live on in infamy but let me try to supplant the language of the motion in a short a time as I possibly can. Mr. Speaker, the CCJ said that the actions of the Leader of the Opposition and the current member for Fort George were repugnant; these two were and their actions were described as malignant tumors on our democracy which no court could allow to go. It was said that what they did, if allowed to stand, would set back the democracy of Belize by some three hundred years. It was said, Mr. Speaker, that this was a classic case, if you will, of an outrageous attempt at prime ministerial governance and constituted as well, over-weaning arrogance on the part of the Executive and particularly, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Fort George.”

Prime Minister Says Motion for Public Accounts Committee is Misconceived
For months the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Julius Espat has been lamenting the fact that the Committee has been unable to get any work done. According to Espat, the biggest obstacle is the composition of the Committee since majority of the members are from the governing party. Espat has taken his fight to change the composition of the Committee public. Today he presented his motion to the House and it was met with less than a warm welcome. HON. JULIUS ESPAT “Whereas standing order 72 of the House of Representatives provides for the selection of standing committees and such other standing committees as may be necessary for the consideration of bills and other business committed or referred to a standing committee and whereas standing order 74/111 provides for a Public Accounts Committee which shall have the duty to examine, consider and report on (a) the account showing the appropriation of the sum granted by the National Assembly to meet the public expenditure of the country; (b) such other accounts as may be referred to the committee by the house or under any law (c) and the report of the Auditor General on any such accounts and whereas the present composition of the Public Accounts Committee as provided for by standing order 73/1 and 75/2 has rendered the committee moribund and thus unable to fulfill its lawful mandate and whereas standing order 72 of the Senate and standing order 78 of the House of Representatives both speak of the formation of a joint select...

5-Year Sentence for Stealing Butane Gas Tank
Fifty-three year old Stephen Slusher, a construction worker of Jane Usher Boulevard, was sentenced to five years today by Magistrate Clive Lino when he pled guilty to burglary. Slusher was also charged with handling stolen goods but that charge was withdrawn after his guilty plea was accepted. The incident occurred on Wednesday, August 7. The complainant, Maria Manzanero, reported to the police that her residence, located at 3191 Central American Boulevard, was burglarized and her grey 25 pound gas tank, valued at 115 dollars was stolen. The police investigated and their investigation led to the recovery of the tank and the detention of Slusher. Slusher told Magistrate Lino that he did not break into the house. He said that the door was wide open. Magistrate Lino explained to him that he did not have to break into the house to commit burglary. Magistrate Lino said once he entered as a trespasser the crime was burglary.

The Belize Times

Barrow Rejects Reform – UDP chooses POWER over GOOD GOVERNANCE
Wednesday’s special sitting of the House of Representatives turned out to be a sad disappointment for Belizeans. An opportunity to deal soberly with the real business of the people got flushed down by Prime Minister Dean Barrow who opted for political grandstanding, personal attacks and creating smoke and mirrors over a recent Caribbean Court of Justice ruling. The special sitting was of particular interest to Belizeans because it presented an opportunity to introduce an important reform mechanism through a motion for the establishment of a Joint Public Accounts Committee that would fix a broken section of our system democracy. Currently, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) plays a key role as an oversight body, monitoring an examining Government’s use of public funds. In paper, the Committee looks like a promising layer of check and balance, but in practice it is a different story. The ruling party in Government has majority members with four Ministers holding seats, over two Opposition members. This political control has stymied the work of PAC and handicapped its oversight role, reducing its impact to that of just another rubber stamp body with no powers at all.

Exploitation Averted – Steven Buckley outsmarts UDP’s diabolical plan
Even after suffering through the pain of being disfigured, disabled, incapacitated and forced to beg on the street sides of Belize City for the last three ...

A Tale of 2 PMs
Aside from the fact that it was the same old UDP circus equipped with animals and clowns alike that rolled in for Wednesday’s House Meeting, the occasion offered the public an opportunity to draw a comparison between the current and former Prime Minister of Belize. Unlike the arrogant, disrespectful, vile and hateful behavior of Dean Barrow, Said Musa appeared statesmanlike, humble, honorable and respectful despite the molestation from Dean’s pets on the other side. Dean grandstands. He loves the limelight and cannot help but look up at the camera each time he is about the spew off a slew of mumbo jumbo that no one else can understand. His inability to speak in layman’s terms makes him feel superior intellectually, but more importantly, it shows that he lacks the common touch, a trait fully embodied by Said Musa. Barrow is indeed all about personality. ...

$US11.5m cocaine hidden in pigtail buckets, destined to Belize – Drug Container busted in El Salvador was for Free Zone Company
Samer Akil Rada, a former Director/Businessman in the Corozal Free Zone, is being sought for questioning by the Police after a container truck transporting goods for his free zone business, CargoYo, was intercepted in El Salvador ...

New Rules
By G. Michael Reid “If you think of yourselves as helpless and ineffectual, it is certain that you will create a despotic government to be your master. The wise despot, therefore, maintains among his subjects a popular sense that they are helpless and ineffectual.” - Frank Herbert, The Dosadi Experiment The general ...

Amandala & UDP Propaganda
Dean Barrow is the Minister of Finance. He does as he pleases with the taxpayers monies. He has personally approved millions of dollars from Government funds to his ex-wife Lois Young Barrow. Millions have been paid to Lois Young Barrow’s law firm where Dean Barrow’s daughter also worked. Most of ...

Belikin Western Spirit sweeps Belmopan Criterium
Belikin Western Spirits’ Choto brothers Jose, Peter and Rafael won 1st, 3rd and 5th places respectively in the final sprint to the finish line after completing 20 laps on the Ring Road from Belmopan Methodist High School ...

Telemedia & Belize Bank win Interoffice volleyball playoffs
Belize Telemedia’s Digicel 4G team won over Simon Quan Co. Ltd in 3 sets in the playoffs at the Belize Elementary School Auditorium last Thursday, August 1. Victor Hernandez, Eros Dawson, Otis Clother ...

San Martin wins Cayo 1st Division football champs
The San Martin Aguilas won the Cayo 1st Division football championship at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan on Sunday afternoon, bombing Roaring Cree: 2-0 in the 2nd half. The best efforts of San Martin’s strikers, Giovanni Lopez and ...

Foul mouth Finnegan!
Member from Mesopotamia Michael Finnegan should face tough disciplinary action for his most unparliamentary conduct at Wednesday’s sitting of the House of Representatives. Finnegan, who is known for being disrespectful and rude every ...

PM Plays Passam – Barrow claims he “doesn’t know” about Rosewood fiasco, Fresh Pond land hustling, nor Buckley’s woes
Prime Minister Dean Barrow played “passam” when he dodged tough questions from the media over the numerous scandals facing the UDP Government. When asked about the latest Rosewood fiasco and the Minister of Forestry Lisel Alamilla’s scandalous ...

AMAZING GRACE – Political Maturity
While attending a house meeting this Sunday, the topic was brought up by the speaker of the house, concerning a king who had a birthday party. He had a beautiful young lady who danced so well that he offered her anything she wanted, up to half of his kingdom. A ...

Marshalls President hold successful meeting in Western Zone
National President of the PUP Marshalls Corps Stephen Latchman organized one of his most successful meetings. A ...

Hon. Jose Mai supports Guinea Grass village council
On Sunday 4th August, the Hon Jose Mai joined the Guinea Grass village council in hosting a football tournament. Seven teams participated and the winner was Atlantic Insurance in Belize City. Second place was won by ...

HOME ECONOMICS – Cruise Ship industry challenge
By Richard Harrison Those who are against the NCL proposal to create large-scale cruise tourism near Placencia in the south claim that they are defending the greater national interest and not merely reacting to what they see as a potential threat to their own self-interest (which they have all rights to ...

Intuition: Sensory Perception of the Soul
By Dr. Angela Banner Joseph “Intuition is always right in at least two important ways: It is always in response to something. It always has your best interest at heart” - Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence What is intuition and how do we ...

BTIA stands firmly against Major Cruise Port in Southern Belize & Proposed NCL/GOB MOU
The Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) remains firmly against establishing a major cruise port in southern Belize and the proposed memorandum of understanding between NCL and the Government of Belize. The BTIA had previously made a public statement in relation to this development at Crawl ...

SCALES OF JUSTICE – Majority Rules!
by anthony sylvestre “Majority Rules!” he says in response to the clamour for reform and accountability. And in the same breath he tries to condemn the former Prime Minister for the exercise of “overweening executive” power. I wonder if he really listens to what he says and looks in the mirror- this ...

Venezuela doubles Petrocaribe interest – Can Belize afford it?
The Barrow Administration has squandered every opportunity to implement a sound and meaningful socially uplifting program with the millions of dollars it has been able to save through Petrocaribe, a Venezuelan initiative which has provided the ...

Will EU decision dent Belize sugar exports?
Neither the Ministry of Foreign Trade, the Sugar Industry Control Board nor Belize Sugar Industries have reacted officially to a decision by the European Union Parliament to bring to an end the sugar quota free arrangement ...

The Amandala/Barrow Affair – Barrow Rejects Amandala’s “Noisy Nationalism”
By now most Belizeans have realized that there is a special relationship between the Amandala newspaper and the Barrow Administration. The government of Dean Barrow fills up the Amandala with dozens of paid ads every week, and in return the Amandala glorifies the leadership of Prime Minister ...

Proof that you are being SPIED ON!
In previous editions the BELIZE TIMES had warned Belizeans about the UDP’s suspicious excitement over the US Personal ...

REFLECTIONS ON THE PUBLIC SQUARE – PUP – A Reform Agenda
By Francis W. Fonseca The People’s United Party of 2013 is deeply committed to Reform. We recognize fully that the Belizean people are demanding that Belize is governed in a more accountable and responsible manner. The Belizean people do not expect their political leaders to be perfect but they do expect us ...

UDP Ignores Warning Signs – Mass Cruise Tourism dangerous for Southern Belize
THE Prime Minister of Belize likes to play Brer Anansi by pretending to know nothing about anything. This way, he assumes, ...

Stop living in the past PM Barrow
Dear Editor, I used to have a lot of admiration for the UDP in the House when they discussed the people’s problems and tried to help the poor people. But after listening to the last House meeting I am ashamed of the Prime Minister and the whole of the government side of ...

Should we drill for Oil in the Sarstoon Temash National Park?
Dear Editor, Please allow me space in your newspaper to share my views. Belizeans have heard the pros and cons of drilling for oil. Firstly, we know that Oil is “Money”. Secondly, given the dire economic stance of our country, most if not all “eyes” are on how we can make ...

Mark King is a joke
Dear Editor, It was a bitter surprise to see Mark King back in the news after his King Gone Wild episode in the Corozal Casino where he went ballistic and assaulted a police officer. I saw the video Mr. Editor, my eyes don’t lie to me. This politician is truly a King ...

GOB AND BEL THIEVES???
Dear Editor, Now that Government of Belize owns Belize Electricity Limited, it has been a spit on the face of us the consumers. Reason: for the month of May my electricity bill soared incredibly to $161.12. For April it was $73.40, for March $65.07, for February $64. 07. Isn’t there an ...

Barrow was forced to compensate Buckley!
Dear Editor, I repeat, it’s a downright shame and disgrace what this UDP Administration is doing to Steven Buckley. The Prime Minister is the leader of this shame and disgrace, and he showed it again in his response to Buckley’s three years of suffering. How in the world can the Prime Minister claim ...

CAYO YOUTH VICIOUSLY BEATEN
33 year old Elon Gongora is in a critical but stable condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after he was viciously attacked by a group of machete wielding men two weeks ago in the village of Unitedville, Cayo District. Gongora’s mother Josephine Gongora and aunt, Martha Jones-Andrews were livid when they visited the BELIZE TIMES last week to explain why they blame UDP Chairman Mike Juan for the brutal attack. According to the victim’s mother, the UDP Chairman encourages idleness in the community and it has influenced the young male residents in the most negative of ways. ...

Blogs

One More for the Birds
Unabashed nature lovers that we are, and fortunate enough to live in one of the best birding locations in the world, with over 300 avian species recorded at Chaa Creek alone and more than 500 throughout Belize, we were happy to hear that one of our fine feathered friends and one of Belize’s real beauties – the common black hawk, is on its way to Ambergris Caye after being rescued and treated by the good folks of Belize Bird Rescue. Apparently, the little hawk found itself in strife when its parents built their nest in someone’s yard on Caye Caulker and the protective parents began attacking people after the chick was born. Perfectly natural behaviour, but not very neighbourly for the humans. Even in the land of “no shoes, no shirts, no worries” bombarding hawks can cause concern. The only solution was to remove the chick, but it was injured in the process, and taken to Belize Bird Rescue’s Roaring Creek rehab centre, where since then it has been cared for by BBR staff, including Sarah Mon, who looked after the bird’s bandages, feeding it and even helping with some flight training. According to BBR’s Jonathon Urbina, “it’s at the level where it is now ready and good to go; it’s able to hunt on its own, even though we had been its parents…”

Flying High on Caye Caulker!!
For over 6 months now Caye Caulker and our surrounding waters have been aware of Belize’s first ultra light plane as on calm afternoons we cannot but help notice it buzzing around our island, seemingly just above our heads!! The plane is amphibious ie can move on water and in the air (oh very James Bond I hear you cry) and indeed it has become quite a spectacle for us locals. The plane’s owner and Captain is Walter Martin, a resident here in Caye Caulker, who moved here with his wife Christine (both of Bavarian decent) from Canada. Walter, a self proclaimed Bush Man, found his small heaven here in Caye Caulker where the warmth of the sun and the simplicity of life can be combined in one sweet spot – Caye Caulker. Walter has been flying for over 7 years has been through loop holes in order to obtain the correct licenses/ insurances in order to make his flying here very much above board, at this stage is merely enjoying his hobby/ passion at a ‘Go Slow’ pace.

“A Boy Named Sue” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Up around 04.00 hours yesterday and my day started with the normal routine which, as regular readers of this blog will know, consists of a mug of black coffee on the veranda with my iPad. It’s the ‘just for me time’ of the day. No one around (well apart from the occasional person walking the beach either going to work, taking the dog for a walk or just finishing the night before) and its so tranquil. Just the lapping of the waves and the breeze rustling through the palm fronds. When it got to around 07.00 hours I decided it was time for work. Time to get the ironing done. Now a few years ago in my chauvinistic days (its OK female readers, I saw the light) I wouldn’t have done the ironing let alone tell the world that I do it. Wouldn’t have dreamt of anyone being inclined to call me a boy named Sue (phew, got the headline in) ! It’s a matter of personal choice of course but I have never been able to put a ‘T’ shirt or polo shirt on unless it has been ironed. I know that there are plenty of people that can and do but it’s not for me. I’ll probably get a comment or two about this (I recall that someone did express surprise that I ironed the sheets in an edition some time ago). Just don’t like wrinkles in things. I can’t do anything about my face but a ‘T’ shirt is a completely different matter!

International Sources

Doncaster Rovers: Belize tycoon behind takeover bid
A tycoon based in the Central American tax haven Belize is the heavyweight behind the Sequentia Capital bid to buy Rovers outright. Kevin Phelan – an official representative of the consortium – told the Irish Mail on Sunday he is working on behalf of the mystery tycoon to ‘acquire 100 per cent of the company which owns the club.’ Phelan also claimed the rival bid to that of Sequentia has come from a London hedge fund. He said: “I am the person putting the deal together and a binding agreement was signed on June 26, 2013, to acquire 100 per cent of the company which owns the club. “It appears another offer has been tabled but our binding offer remains. “I represent an investor from Belize. “The other consortium is a London hedge fund.” A statement from Sequentia Capital issued last week claimed Phelan was approached by Rovers chairman John Ryan in June about new investment in the club.

Designing Shark Sanctuaries in Belize on the World's Second-Largest Barrier Reef
Many shark populations in the Atlantic Ocean are collapsing as a result of unsustainable fishing, and there are grave concerns that Caribbean sharks face a similar fate. The demise of these beautiful and ancient animals would be not only an inherent loss, but would also disrupt the balance of undersea food webs, hasten the widespread decline of coral reef health, and jeopardize the eco-tourism industry. On the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (MABR) in Belize, which is more than 600 miles long and is second in size only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the government is actively establishing a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) spread across 600,000 acres and designed to protect the reef ecosystem. While MPAs are a potentially effective management tool for fish that have sedentary lifestyles, there has been very little scientific research on how well they can protect highly mobile sharks that could move outside of MPA boundaries on a regular basis. The Institute for Ocean Conservation Science shark research team has since 2000 studied the sharks of the MABR, with a special focus at Glover’s Reef atoll. Glover’s Reef is one of only four atolls in the Western Hemisphere and is one of the largest MPAs in the Caribbean. The team has discovered through careful observation and tracking that populations of large apex predatory sharks – such as Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks -- have remained robust at this offshore atoll even while populations in neighboring waters continue to decline. Our long-term studies are proving that the sharks’ success here is directly related to the unique design of the Glover’s Reef MPA. We are now expanding our shark monitoring to the entire MABR, using remote video surveying technology. As we gain greater knowledge about shark population trends throughout this ecosystem, we will help the Belizean government expand their shark conservation success at Glover’s Reef to the entire MPA network.

The Mound – Belize II
If you missed my last blog post I have just returned from my summer vacation. The first two weeks of my trip was spent in Central America, in the country of Belize, formerly known as British Honduras and shares its borders with Guatemala and Mexico. A colleague of mine was an archeologist and used to work on a site there before a career change and joining the league of International Teachers. My colleague’s friend has been running an archeological like camp, (AFAR), for highly selected High School Students in Belize for several summers and extended the invitation to our staff and students. I have always been fascinated with the ancient civilizations and I thought this would be a great opportunity to travel to a new country, experience a new culture and learn about the Maya. The morning of the 21st of June, I waited nervously at the airport for my colleague and the two students to arrive to begin the adventure. Once the gang was assembled and we had become acquainted with one another, the long journey across land, sea and ocean began. The afternoon of the 22nd of June exhausted and hungry, we landed safely in beautiful Belize and met up with and were introduced to the rest of the student body and staff whom we would be working alongside for the next two weeks.